Dr Beecher’s December 16 Weekly Chiropractic Newsletter

WEEKLY HEALTH NEWS UPDATE

Week of Monday, December 16th, 2013

Mental Attitude: Long-Term Opioid Use and Depression. Recent studies show more than 200 million prescriptions for opioid analgesics were issued in 2009 in the United States. Data on over 50,000 patients reveals that those on opioids for 180 days or longer have a 53% increased risk of developing major depression. Journal of General Internal Medicine, November 2013

Health Alert: Alcohol and TV. According to a voluntary standard adopted in 2003, alcohol companies agreed not to place any ads on TV programs where more than 30% of the audience was younger than age 21. However, a survey of television programs popular with youths shows that 25% of the programs still featured ads selling alcohol. Studies have shown that exposure to alcohol marketing increases the risk that children and young adults (under age 21) will begin drinking, and those who do start drinking will drink more and do so more often. CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 2013

Diet: Cruciferous Vegetables and Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates. Women with the highest fruit and vegetable intakes have better ovarian cancer survival rates than those who generally neglect these foods. Researchers found that yellow and cruciferous vegetables contributed to longer survival. The authors concluded that low-fat, plant based diets are not only beneficial for cancer prevention, but they may also play a role in increasing survival time after diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August 2010

Exercise: Even Elderly Hearts Can Benefit From Exercise. A pilot study involving 310 adults over age 70 found that even men and women in their later years can improve their heart’s health with moderate physical exercise. To assess the effect of exercise on the heart, researchers measured a blood-based injury marker called Troponin T that is traditionally used to assess damage to the heart. After one year, Troponin T levels in the exercise group were less than a third of the levels found in the control group that did not exercise. The study’s lead author, Dr. Christopher DeFilippi adds, “Our findings suggest biochemical evidence to support the old adage, ‘You’re never too old to start a physical activity program to improve cardiac health.'”

American Heart Association, November 2013

Chiropractic: Pain in the Neck? The cervical spine is made up of seven bones called vertebrae, and these vertebrae are separated by disks filled with a cushioning gel-like substance. Your cervical disks stabilize your neck and also help it to turn. Decades of movement can really take a toll on the neck as two-thirds of people will experience neck pain at some point in their lives. Researchers estimate that 50% of the population at 40 years of age and 70% of those at 65 years have some level of cervical disk degeneration. Cervical disk degenerative processes can cause radiating pain, as well as numbness and weakness in your shoulders, arms, and hands. Clinical Evidence Concise, 2004

Wellness/Prevention: Sleep for Children. In a recent study, when children increased their sleep by 90 minutes per night over just a few weeks, they consumed an average of 134 fewer calories per day, weighed a half pound less (~.2 kg), and had lower fasting levels of leptin, a hunger-regulating hormone that is also highly correlated with the amount of adipose (fat) tissue in the body. Pediatrics, November 2013

Quote: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

This Weekly Health News Update is compliments of Dr. Ward Beecher and Beecher Chiropractic Clinic. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 281-286-1300 or BeecherChiropractic.com .